The Legal Compass

Keep on Learning

Next week begins a ten-day deep dive into the world of law firm operations and strategy for me at George Washington University (GWU).  Hildebrandt Institute has a strategic partnership with GWU and offers a certificate or a masters degree in law firm management.  I view this as an opportunity to continue learning from the academic side to compare that which I learn from my consulting and client opportunities every day.  One of the books I'm reading in preparation for the University is Stephen Mayson's "Law Firm Strategy: Competitive Advantage and Valuation."  When I began reading it I thought, "Ugh, another strategy book."  But, quickly found that Mayson has a keen vision of what's happening and what's about to happen in the legal industry.  I highly recommend it to anyone who is involved with law firm leadership or law firm strategy--we'll see if he was right when we look back from 2012 or so; but I suspect he's onto something. Change is about to hasten the industry's need to tighten up.

Holidays

Holidays are the best time to connect or reconnect with friends, family, clients and contacts.  Whether it's been twenty years or two months, pick up the phone or log onto your computer and call or email a contact or friend from yesteryear.  A client of mine recently called another lawyer he knew with whom he had not spoken in fifteen years.  The next day he received a new case from his old contact.  It works! 

My family has been spending time with friends who we only see over the holidays.  It's a special time of the year and reminds us of how special people are to us, regardless of how often or seldom we see them.

And, oh, by the way, gotta love those New England Patriots!  14 and 0---Go Team!

Enjoy the holidays and have a safe and happy 2008.

Silvia

Be serious to be taken seriously

I was asked by a young woman lawyer recently, "I'm always cognizant of the fact that coming from a young female attorney, an invitation for lunch can occasionally be misconstrued to indicate other interest when I really am interested in a business referral and establishing myself as a go-to person for my area of law."  How do you create a situation where you are taken seriously?  Be serious, straight-forward and confident.  As a male GC of a large company just suggested to an audience of women lawyers, "go after my business in the same way you would represent me if you were already my counsel--be strong and confident." 

Any response by your prospective client/reerral source, other than a business response, is often a weak attempt to gain control of you or the situation.  Stay in control of the sales process and stay focused on the goal at the moment--whether it's to obtain a date and time for a meeting or lunch.  It may be more helpful to schedule meetings at someone's office rather than invite them to lunch or out for cocktails, thereby maintaining a constant business environment for your discussion. 

For more tips on building sales confidence, read my book, "The Woman Lawyer's Rainmaking Game," published by Thomson/Legalwks and available at www.legalwks.com/publications, one of the chapters is co-authored by an organizational psychologist and a woman lawyer, and is titled, "Building Your Sales Confidence." 

Staying Connected--Try New Things!

At a recent meeting a client reminded his partners and me that it took him twelve years to obtain a recently-new client.  He stayed connected throughout the years and continued to build his relationship with the prospect--a significant bank.  He now has all the bank's work in his speciality area.  Setting expectations for the long haul is key to developing business and while it sometimes takes three to six months, or a luncheon meeting with a strong referral source and her client, staying connected takes time.  So what works?  Some of the women with whom I work have shared these ideas and tips:

• Fly fishing--yes I have three women clients who fly fish!
• Taking contacts and their children to children's theatres; the circus or a musical.
• Sending sports tickets to a male contact or referral source--they will be heros with their staff or their family and won't forget they are at the game because of you.
• Concerts--a big hit, especially if the band is targeted at the age of your client/prospect.
• Spa gifts--always a huge success and I recently spoke to a banking client (male) who received a his/her massage from one of his lawyers, to celebrate an anniversary--his comment to me--"who do you think I'll give my next piece of business to?"  Men like massages too!
• Lunches--I always hear from clients that they seldom have lawyers come visit them and take them to lunch--surprising?  Not really--you all often think they are too busy to do this; but in fact clients and contacts enjoy the visit.
• Print out your client lists from up to ten years back and call everyone to see how they are doing--you will guaranteed get business!

Women are fabulous at building relationships--start now!

Woman Lawyer: Assert Yourself!

No matter which group with whom I'm speaking--associates; senior associates; partners--women lawyers often share the same fear:  that if you pursue new business, you will be seen as aggressive by others.  To this I say, if you are NOT assertive and aggressive, you will get nowhere fast.  Think of substituting the word CONFIDENT for the word AGGRESSIVE.  Demonstrating confidence is critical to not only getting hired but also to providing the best service to your clients.  Building confidence comes from practicing and succeeding.  I'd welcome a dialogue about what specifically is causing you to shy away from being a strong, confident business developer (since I know you are a strong, confident practitioner for your clients)!  Try not to speculate and then react to your speculation about how others may perceive you.  Go for it and start following up on new and former relationships.  Start by calling your inactive clients today.  No one is going to think you are too confident!

Happy New Year!

Welcome to 2007--the start of the future.  I'm on a Thomson/West editorial board and we are adding a fourth publication to this year's Practice Innovations.  The publication will feature the law firm of the future.  Who knows where technology, globalization, today's 17-year olds tomorrow, will take us but surely the practice of law will be very different.  I'd welcome your thoughts on the subject--simply drop me an email to silvia@coultercranston.com and reference "law firm future" in the subject line.  I'll add your thoughts and comments, for attribution, to the article if they are focused on the future of the practice and delivery of legal services.

Speaking of the future, have an impact on your own future by subscribing (for no charge) to Wharton's articles on leadership and business at Wharton's web site.

Happy, healthy New Year to all.

Opportunity

Competition.  Whether it's in law school for the mock trial win or whether it's on the tennis court for the game--competition is everywhere.  And with competition comes the opportunity to be your best.  To be your best, your message--whether to a jury or to a prospect--needs to be direct, confident and tight.  So why all the words on all the law firm web sites and practice descriptions?  There are some great resources to help you tighten the message and win the game.  Here are a few:  www.contentpilot.net, Deborah McMurray's site that provides great resources for making the message succint; or Vistance Group--masters of the message spin; or Andy Havens, who has a talent for the tongue.  Whatever the resource, use it and start to live, breathe, write and talk the brand for your firm! 

Change is Everywhere!

Want to buy your management team a great Fall present?  Try buying a copy of Change Management Excellence by Sarah Cook, Steve Macaulay and Hilary Coldicott.  Experience has over and over again shown us that change is ever present and certainly so in the legal world. Yet, those insistent on staying the course constantly put up roadblocks for those of us charged with changing the course. Helping move things along for firm members who are at least somewhat open to new methods is part of our job; yet, few of us take the opportunity to learn a new skill--change management.  Well here's your opportunity.  And remember, it's one step at a time!

User or Buyer Friendly Matters

I recently upgraded my Blackberry to the 8700c series.  With it came the customary manual for getting started and setting up the online access.  A veteran Blackberry user, I must admit I had little doubt this would take more than a few minutes to accomplish.  Four hours later, no Sunday service for Cingular customers (I switched from T-mobile and may be sorry) and stumped about how to get this service working, I can't help but think this is how law firm clients must feel.  The manual does not match the web pages; the options are not what are listed in the user guide and after long hours of frustration, I can only say that I think they forgot to initiate my service at Cingular.  What's the biggest issue?  There is nothing that I am reading or hearing that is user-friendly.  It's all geek speak.  I must admit, hiring lawyers often leaves clients with the same feeling.  You understand what you are saying, but your clients are left with reams of printed pages that they hope reflect the contractual terms of the arrangements they've negotiated.  They will find out if things don't turn out as they'd hoped, whether or not their law firms captured their goals in writing, if at some point in time they will need to enforce the agreements the documents reflect.  So is this not an opportunity?  Perhaps an executive summary for the documents that summarizes the key points and reads in non-legal "geek?" 

As we become even more buyer savvy and welcome the vast amount of choices we have, if it doesn't feel like outstanding service, it's easy to switch to another provider--unlike my lawyers, my Blackberry did come with a 30-day return option!

Going for the Gold

There are those of us who love competition and those of us who prefer gaining new business because we are great lawyers.  As told many times, being a great lawyer will help KEEP business but clearly it takes much more to get new business.  We've been saying this since 1987 and yet, it's still new news to many.  But before we dismiss being a great lawyer out of hand completely, here's where being a great lawyer helps get new business:

Your bio:  write your bio for the reader not for you!  The visitor to your bio page on the website or the reader to the bio you hand out at meetings should gain an immediate awareness about the depth of your experience based on two sentence, bulleted tidbits about your successes.

Your results: create a mini ad about you that you will use during meetings with others.  Make it a one page overview that has logos from all your client companies; all the deals you've done or all the cases you've won.  For solos and small firm practitioners, create a one page fact sheet that showcases your skills.  These are far more interesting than lots of boring brochures that do not target a particular client's needs or showcase your specific successes.

Your clients: create a "Client Testimonials" sheet that has quotes from your clients about your work.  Your can either use their name and company (with their permission) or you can simply write under the testimonial "estate planning client;" or "CFO, technology company." 

Get the point?  Just good work won't alone get you clients; but look at all the ways you can leverage the relationships and experience to help drive new business.

Go for the Gold and grab some client and market share!